Recently, vehicles using a shift-by-wire type of transmission system become popular in which a shift device is electrically connected with a transmission which is operated through transmitting an electric signal indicating a shift operation by a driver. In such a vehicle, when the ignition switch is turned off, the transmission is automatically switched to a parking range irrespective of driver's operation to the shift device (shifter). Accordingly, the vehicle never moves, though upon getting out of a car the driver forgets to switch the transmission to the parking range by operation of the shift device by the driver. Accordingly, the shift-by-wire type of the transmission system is useful and a safe device.
However, there are many cases in which this mode change operation (the transmission is automatically switched to the parking range) causes troubles. For example, it is assumed that the vehicle is mounted on a conveyor for single-sided automobile transfer, i.e., wheels on one side out of right and left wheels of the vehicle, are mounted on the conveyor to pass a vehicle washer. The driver should turn off the engine and then change the transmission to a neutral range to cause the left and right wheels rotate freely to easily pass the vehicle washer. However, if the transmission is automatically switched to the parking range when the engine is turned off, the vehicle cannot pass the vehicle washer.
To avoid this, there are many methods and approaches to allow the driver to shift the transmission to the neutral range. Such prior art includes the case where the driver causes the vehicle to enter the vehicle washer mode by keeping a holding state of the neutral button after turning off of the engine.
For example, Patent Document 1 relates to a production line for vehicles which exceptionally releases the automatically switching to the parking range. More specifically, in the control device of the shift by wire type of vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, when an operation pattern by the driver to an operation input device (shift device) during turning ON of a power switch agrees with a predetermined pattern, switching to the parking range is inhibited though the power switch is turned off. As a result, the neutral range is kept. This prevents the wheels not on the conveyor for single-sided automobile transfer from being dragged without rotation with saving an electric power.